A man accused of murdering a man whose body was found inside a parked car has appeared in court and will keep his identity secret for now.

Richard Leman’s body was found inside his own car, parked in a garage in Tyler St, Rangiora, on April 17. Police then began a homicide inquiry.

On Saturday morning police raided a property on Oxford Rd, Rangiora, and arrested a 46-year-old man. The man has since been charged with murdering Leman.

On Monday, the man appeared in the Christchurch District Court before Judge Stephen O’Driscoll.

Through his counsel, Ethan Huda, the man applied for interim name suppression of name and any particulars likely to identify him, which was granted. He was remanded in custody until June 23 for his first appearance in the High Court.

According to court documents the man allegedly murdered Leman, 41, on April 11 in Rangiora. Leman’s family earlier said Leman was last seen at a shopping centre in Rangiora at 8.20pm on April 11.

The man spoke twice in the hearing, once to confirm he could hear the judge, and then gave the judge his full name.

The Herald was the only media outlet in attendance for the brief hearing.

Leman’s sister, Nicky Leman, told the Herald after the man’s arrest that the last seven weeks since her brother first went missing had been “total fear.

“I haven’t been sleeping, I’ve been getting up throughout the night checking my windows and doors and making sure all my children are in bed safe it’s like I have not been sleeping. We’re all like that, we’re all a mess, all of us.

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“We had no idea what was going on because the police don’t tell you anything because they’ve got an investigation to do and then you don’t want to know because you don’t want to jeopardise anything, so it’s been a catch-22 situation, we want to know but then we don’t because we don’t want to compromise anything. If we talk to the wrong person we don’t want anything compromised because we want justice for Richard.”

Nicky Leman, who does not live in Christchurch, said it had been hard being in the same city knowing those responsible were “walking around… breathing the same air as all of us.

“It’s such a hard thing... that is why today was a relief, first thing this morning it was a relief to get told they’d made an arrest.”

Leman was a beloved brother, son, and father to three boys “his babies”, Nicky Leman said.

“He was a funny guy, he made us laugh when we were down, he put a smile on our face. That was just Richard.”

She said the family had “no clue” as to why someone would want to harm Leman.

“Richard was friends with everybody, that was how he was. If you were down, you could’ve been a complete stranger and if you were on the side of the road and if you were upset or crying or whatever, he would stop and say ‘Are you alright?’ and give you a hug and say ‘is there anything I can do to help you’. That’s the kind of guy he was.

“Everyone was Richard’s friend, it was like he had an infectious personality where you just wanted to be around him.”

Nicky Leman said her parents were “not coping at all”. The couple also lost their oldest child to leukemia, she said.

“I can’t come to terms with it, this is my little brother… every time I think about it I start to cry.”

She said the police had done an “amazing job” throughout their investigation.

“I think the police are amazing. They’ve been brilliant with my parents, because my parents are elderly and they’re very unwell, and just the way they’ve handled everything, I can’t speak highly enough of them.”

The family appealed to anyone who still had information they had not disclosed to speak up.

“If anybody knows anything to come forward to the police and give them the information so we can get justice for Richard and if there’s anybody else involved that the police get everybody involved, that’s it,” she said.

“The police are on the right track and they’re doing their job and they’re absolute in the course that they’re taking and that gives us comfort.”

Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Daniel Overend said on Saturday police urged anyone with information relation to Leman’s death to “come forward and speak to the inquiry team.

“As the matter is now before the courts, and with the investigation ongoing, police cannot comment further.”